In U.S. patent Ser. No. 098,577, filed Sept. 18, 1987, there is disclosed a decorative door latch assembly having a plate-like member for rotatably mounting a door knob structure. The member is of a material capable of allowing light to pass therethrough. To this end, the member can be transparent or translucent and is mounted in a door in a manner such that the way in which the door knob structure is coupled to a latch bolt forming part of the latch assembly is not discernible by merely viewing the member or the door knob structure. The member when rotated, causes a mechanism alternately to retract and extend a latch bolt relative to a latch plate. It is not apparent to the average person that there is a rotation of the member relative to the door when the door knob structure is rotated. Thus, the way in which the door latch assembly operates to unlatch or unseat the latch bolt is seemingly magical in effect because rotation of the member cannot be observed if the member is sufficiently clean and otherwise free of visible marks which would indicate rotation of the member as the door knob structure is rotated. Thus, the door latch assembly of the foregoing disclosure provided not only an aesthetic effect but also a functional effect as well, yet the assembly is simple in construction and made of a relatively few number of parts.
It has been found that the structure of the door latch assembly described above can be further simplified by improved linkage means which is rugged in construction and allows for a quick and easy installation of the latch assembly in a mortise of a door. The present invention provides such improvements.